RADIO
It's a small slate as usual this Tuesday, but that doesn't mean there isn't plenty to discuss. Based on early injury news, Shabazz Napier is an easy option to lock in at point guard. From there, a decision has to be made on Russell Westbrook. I lean away from playing him based on his price, but on a small slate raw points are important and we know Westbrook will provide that. The other big piece of injury news is centered around Jonathon Simmons. If he is unable to play, Mario Hezonja will become a good value and very chalky.
As for stacks, both the Blazers and Mavericks are teams I will be heavily targeting. I will be locking in C.J. McCollum, Shabazz Napier, and Wesley Matthews to start my teams for the Tuesday slate.
Below you will find our daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel on 1/9/18. These DFS lineup picks can vary from higher-priced players and elite options, to lower-priced players and value picks on FanDuel. You can also read more DFS lineup picks for DraftKings and other sports too.
FanDuel DFS Guards
Dennis Smith Jr. - PG vs. ORL ($6,100)
With Damian Lillard already declared out, Shabazz Napier is an easy call for one PG spot tonight at just $4,800. Russell Westbrook is another obvious play at the top-end of the price range. However, if you’re looking at studs at other positions, a mid-priced option to settle on is Dennis Smith. The rookie has settled in nicely as a steady option option, posting a floor of 28.1 FD points over his last five games. More importantly, he’s in a great spot tonight as the Mavs have an implied team total nine points higher than their season average and the Magic are among the worst teams at defending opposing point guards.
C.J. McCollum - SG @ OKC ($7,500)
The season long numbers don’t look especially positive for opposing guards against the Thunder, but they are often matched up against Andre Roberson who has already been ruled out for tonight’s game. In his absence, we have seen strong nights from team’s number one scoring options, including the likes of Lou Williams, Harrison Barnes, and Devin Booker. With Damian Lillard out, McCollum will be the number one scoring option for the Blazers which puts him in a good position to produce.
Also Consider: Wesley Matthews - SG vs. ORL ($5,500)
FanDuel DFS Forwards
Paul George - SF vs. POR ($8,300)
As is already the case at point guard, value could open up at small forward if Jonathan Simmons is out as Mario Hezonja is still only priced at $4,800. George is a more expensive option worth considering, as he is by far the safest option at the position given his floor of 35 points. Normally, that isn’t great value, but with such a small slate filled with fluid rotations I’ll pay up for the guaranteed points at the position. Harrison Barnes is also a good option as he played well of late and the Mavericks are in a good spot for a strong offensive game.
James Johnson - PF @TOR ($5,700)
Johnson presents a less obvious value opportunity on the Tuesday slate as he is priced somewhere between $500-$700 less than his normal price. Yet, he is getting his usual workload in minutes and appears to be rounding back into form after returning from injury. After shooting 0-for-7 from the field in his second game back, Johnson bounced back with a strong performance against Utah. The offensive environment for the game as a whole isn’t necessarily positive, but Johnson fills the stat sheet with enough other than points I still feel comfortable turning to him while he remains underpriced.
FanDuel DFS Centers
Bismack Biyombo - C, @DAL ($5,600)
In a development that could have hardly been predicted earlier in the season, Bismack Biyombo has become a fantasy staple and until his price rises properly he should be relied upon. The crop of centers priced above him also make this a relatively easy option as four of the five see unreliable minutes either due to foul trouble or inconsistent rotations. Not only that, but none of them stand out as being in a spot to blow up based on their matchup. Steven Adams has more upside than Biyombo but a $1,500 price difference gives Biyombo the edge.
